Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Last of the Lady Road Agents

The era of the old west was the most colorful period of our nation's history. It was a time when notorious outlaws and brave lawman became legendary characters whose name are more popular today than in the 1800s. By the turn of the century though, the west was becoming civilized. Trains were slowly replacing the older methods of transportation and most of the desperados were either dead or in exile. The days of the stagecoach robberies were past, at least the citizens of Arizona thought so. On May 30, 1899 when two people stepped out onto the road with guns drawn, and commanded the driver of the Benson-Globe stage to "Halt!" and, the short career of Pearl Hart, who is known as "The Last of the Lady Road Agents" began.

When the stage came to a stop, three nervous passengers disembarked and obediently raised their hands in the air. They noticed the bandits were an odd pair. One was tall, muscular and sported a fancy mustache. The other smaller one appeared to be a woman whose figure was poorly concealed. She was wearing a rough miner's shirt and blue overalls, which were tucked into course boots that were obviously too large. A few dark curls escaped from beneath the dirty cowboy hat that covered her head and the hands that ransacked the passenger's pockets were small and white.

The haul was not a poor one. A drummer had $290, a heavy set man turned over $36 and a Chinese merchant added $100. The robbers seemed content and the smaller one silently returned four dollars to each passenger for bed and food. Then they rode off into the bushes and the stage continued on its way at a fast pace. When it arrived in Globe, the driver ran in and notified the sheriff and an excited posse set out in pursuit of the dangerous renegades. The old timers, however, seemed almost happy, for to them a robbery meant the old west was still alive and kicking.

Meanwhile the road agents who were clearly novices attempted to cover their tracks. They were unfamiliar with the territory and spent three days plunging across canyons and doubling back, only to find themselves a few miles from the scene of the crime. When the posse found them they were sound asleep on the ground. Neither one even had the chance to spend a penny of their ill gotton gains.

The sheriff awakened the pair and asked the man his name. When he seemed hesitant to answer, the woman said, "Joe, its Joe Boot." No one ever knew his true identity, so that was how he was booked. Boot didn't give the lawman any trouble, he turned himself over without a word, but the woman was not anxious to go to jail, she put up quite a fight and had to be subdued. The Arizona Star reported, "She is a wild-cat of a woman and had she not been relieved of her gun a bloody foray might have resulted." When they reached the jail, Pearl was carrying all the money.

The path that led Pearl Hart to that fateful day in May was long and hard. She was born in 1872 in Ontario, Canada, and christened Pearl by her mother, no one is sure of her last name. It can be assumed Pearl had a normal childhood, very little has been written about her early years. She entered a boarding school for young ladies at the age of 16, and while there she met a personable man named Hart. He swept the girl off of her feet with his looks and promises. A year later they eloped, much to her mother's dismay.

Hart was a semi-professional gambler, sometime bartender and full-time drinker who spent more hours nursing his hangovers than working. Pearl returned to her mother several times during her marriage, but Hart always managed to convince her to give him one more chance.

In 1893 they went to Chicago in hopes of finding steady employment at the World Columbian Exposition. Hart was confident he could get a good bartending job. He ended up instead as a barker in a shabby side show. Pearl, however, discovered the glamour of the West in the form of the tall, muscular cowboys who were part of the entertainment. It wasn't long before one of the amorous cowhands convinced the pretty lady to accompany him to Colorado. He paid her way but soon left her there to fend for herself.

Pearl's admiration for cowboys ended and she began cooking in the mining camps of the west. For the first time she began to save money and was doing well. Pearl especially liked the attention she received from the male population. One day in Phoenix,Arizona , she ran into her husband. When he noticed she looked prosperous he decided to get a bit of her money. Once more Hart talked his way back into her life with the usual promises.
This time he did settle down for a few years and held a steady job. During that interlude they had two babies. Hart again showed his lack of responsibility when he began drinking and abusing his family. Pearl knew she really had enough of her husband and sent her children to her mother, who was living in Ohio.

Without the babies and her husband, Pearl returned to the mining camps disillusioned with life. She drifted from place to place and soon began drinking heavily and using drugs. There were many men in her life, but she was not a prostitute.

In 1889 Pearl met Joe Boot in a mining camp in Arizona, and they became close friends. Whether Pearl was in love with Boot or not has never been revealed, although at the time of their arrest she claimed undying affection for the man. At other times, however she expressed disgust for him and said he was weak and worthless.

Boot was with Pearl when she received a letter saying her mother who she loved very much, was ill and needed money for medical expenses. She and Boot looked at their resources and since neither one had any, devised a plan to rob the stage. At least that is the reason they gave the police. Boot said he just went along with it to help the women.

This was Pearl's first encounter wit h the law and her last, but it made headlines throughout the United States. Many newspaper reporters rushed to Arizona to write every detail of the "sordid" crime they could dig up, whether it was true or not. Pearl was portrayed as a fallen woman and described as a morphine fiend. Through the years writers have continued to tell of the notorious Pearl Hart who will forever be remembered as a stage robber.

Sheriff Bill Truman of Pima County said she was a tiger-cat for nerve and endurance and would have killed him if she could. In another report it was written, "She is a delicate, dark haired woman, with little about her that would suggest the ability to hold up a stage loaded with frontiersmen. She had refined features, a mouth of the true rosebud type, and clear blue eyes that would be confiding and baby-like were it not for the few lines that come only through the seamy side of life. In weight she is not over 100 pounds, in form slight and graceful".

Joe Boot, on the other hand was described by Sheriff Truman as, " a weak morphine-depraved specimen of mortality, without spirit and lacking intelligence and activity. It is plain the woman was the leader of the assorted partnership. She does not deny that such was the case and expresses nothing but contempt for her companion."

The prisoners were first taken to Florence for preliminary hearings and held over without bond to answer to the grand jury. Pearl was transferred to the Pima County jail at Tucson because there were no accommodations for women in the Florence jail. It was said Pearl cried when they separated her from Boot.

On October 20, 1899, The Tucson Star wrote of Pearl's escape from the Tucson jail. The officers were quite upset over it as they had taken every precaution for her safe keeping. The newspaper wrote, "It is evident that after everything was quiet someone entered the courthouse, walked up the stairway and entered the tower room. It was the work of but a few minutes to cut a hole through the wall into Pearl's room. She held a sheet to catch the plaster that fell by her side. After the hole was cut through, she put a sheet underneath, and placing her chair upon that crawled through the hole."

It was obvious she had an accomplice because she couldn't have managed it alone. The police believed it was Ed Hogan, who was serving a drunk and disorderly sentence. He was a trustee and also turned up missing the next day. Pearl was captured in New Mexico several days later and returned to Tucson.

The plight of Pearl Hart won the hearts of many, especially women. She had no prior arrest and they felt she should not be put on trial, convicted and sentenced under a law she or her sex had no part in making. She captured their sympathy and used it to help win freedom. However, no one really knows who Pearl was, her personality changed to suit her moods. In the eyes of many she was a petite woman who couldn't possibly have committed the crime. Others saw her as a depraved, fallen women. Even Pearl's vocabulary alternated between Western phrases, gutter slang and that of an educated woman. Later, during her confinement, she wrote poetry which showed an educational background.

On November 25, 1899 Pearl stood trial for her part in the robbery and was acquitted. The judge was furious and dismissed the jury. He immediately rearrested her, calling in a new jury. This time Pearl was charged with a lesser crime, stealing the revolver from the stage driver. She could not stand trial again for the robbery itself.

The Arizona Sentinel reported, "the action which will be telegraphed all over the country is, however, likely to do the reputation of Arizona a considerable amount of injury, as it will confirm many eastern people in the that the people of Arizona have a sneaking sympathy for crimes…In these days of women's rights the question of sex should not be allowed to play any greater part in crime than it is supposed to do in merit and achievement."

Pearl at the age of 28, was convicted and sentenced to serve 5 years in the territorial prison at Yuma, Arizona, her accomplice, Joe Boot, was sentenced to 30 years. Throughout the trial Boot had maintained he did it only to help a lady in distress. Although both Boot and Pearl had a "death-do-us-part" vow, he escaped a few months later and was never heard of again. Pearl entered the prison on Nov 15, 1899. She was the 13th female prisoner and became #1559.
A letter arrived at the prison from Pearl's brother in law that confirmed her first story of why she committed the robbery. It said, "To the Sheriff- I see by the papers that you have Miss Pearl Hart in custody in Arizona for some misdemeanor. Now, as I am her brother in law, I am interested in her welfare. It has been a long time since we have heard from her, and we did not know what had become of her. I assure you that her mother would be glad to have her at home. I have seen her sit and cry when we were talking about Pearl and wondering what had become of her…Now, I would beg of you to be as easy as you can, for we have not dared to let her mother know that we have heard anything of her and much less that she is a prisoner, as she is troubled with heart disease and the news might affect her seriously…James T. Taylor"

Pearl was the only female prisoner for almost nine months. By the time she was granted a pardoned she was sharing her cell with 3 other women.

Pearl's sister and her mother petitioned the governor for a parole. They said if Pearl obtained a release she would have the opportunity to play a leading role on the Orpheum circuit. Her sister had written a play which would dramatize Pearl's experience as a stage robber.

The petition was convincing and Governor Alexander O. Brodie agreed to sign it if Pearl would leave Arizona. She accepted the terms and was released a little over two years from the day she entered the prison.

It was said Pearl left the prison in good health and free from opium addiction. No one knows if Pearl's stage appearance was successful. The end of her life appears to be as confusing and as much a mystery as the lady herself.

Excerpt from the book " Daughters of the West" by Anne Seagraves

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The first actual feast of Thanksgiving was celebrated by Basques on April 20, 1598 in what was to become the United States, in present day El Paso, before the Mayflower survivors held their thankful feast in 1621. The feast was led by Juan de Onate during his expedition north from San Geronimo, Mexico to colonize New Mexico.

"Basques Hold the First Thanksgiving Feast in America"

One of our most honored annual traditions is Thanksgiving. Most Americans celebrate this holiday on the last Thursday of November. It is a continuance of the celebratory feast begun in the fall of 1621 by the fifty-three survivors of the Mayflower after their first year in a new land. It took place near Plymouth, Massachusetts.

However, the first actual feast of Thanksgiving in what was to become the United States occurred on April 20, 1598 in the area of present day El Paso, Texas. The feast was led by Basque Juan de Oñate during his expedition north from San Gerónimo,Mexico to colonize New Mexico.

The story begins in 1525 when Christóbal de Oñate y Narria, born twenty years previously in the Basque province of Bizkaia, came to Mexico and the New World as assistant to the accountant of the royal treasury of New Spain. Oñate rose quickly in politics, the military, mining and ranching and was instrumental in the settlement of the Zacatecas area of Mexico. Through his silver discoveries he became one of the wealthiest men in Mexico.

In 1552 his son, Juan de Oñate y Salazar was born, literally, with a silver spoon in his mouth. A child of frontier and colonial nobility, he was quick to rise to an influential presence in New Spain. In the late 1580’s Juan married the daughter of his father’s Basque business partner Juan de Tolosa. Her name was Isabel de

Tolosa Cortéz Moctezuma. She was the granddaughter of the conqueror of Mexico, Hernán Cortéz and Isabel Moctezuma, the daughter of the Aztec emperor.

Making a very long story short, because of Juan de Oñate’s political connections, social standing and extreme wealth he was chosen by the king of Spain to finance and lead an expedition to colonize an unknown area to the north of Mexico called “New Mexico” which was thought to extend all the way to Newfoundland. As was the Basque custom on the frontier, Oñate surrounded himself with Basque friends and relatives and organized and funded an exploration party that consisted of five hundred men; one hundred thirty of which took their families along with them. They set off on their eight hundred mile trip in January 1598. They brought more than seven thousand head of livestock and eighty-three wagons and carts for food and every type of provision they could carry. (On this trip Oñate brought the first chili peppers and the first domesticated sheep into what would become the US.)

After three months of extremely difficult travel over trail-less desert with weeks of food and water rationing and, finally, after a stretch of five consecutive days without water, the group reached the Rio Grande River. Finding abundant water, game, fish and waterfowl, on April 20, 1598 Oñate led the members of his expedition in a Thanksgiving feast and celebration to give praise for finding the life-saving river. This event predated the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving in New England by twenty-three years.

At this location he named El Paso and then headed north to found the area now known as New Mexico, become one of the founders of Santa Fe and the first governor of the province. (There would be nine additional Basque governors of the Spanish province of New Mexico.)

Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in servingthe Western Horseman the safest most durable QualityAmerican made leather horse tack.......

Monday, November 2, 2009

Since starting my own blog, website, and now a new monthly newsletter, I have encountered and met some passionate and interesting people in the horse world. Listed below are their websites and brief description of each. I encourage you to visit and pass along these websites.

If you have any websites you would like to share, please feel free to leave a comment. Also if you are interested in subscribing to my new monthly newsletter, with updates on new horse tack and great discounts, please click on this link,Newsletter, to sign up for The Buckaroo Newsletter, The Newsletter to Demand!

When was the last time you found wonder and delight viewing a web site featuring some of the most amazing horse hair products you will find anywhere? Just take a moment and imagine the richness and the luxurious feeling of a quality, authentic, real horse hair product in your hands.

Each piece a timeless classic done in the traditional Cowboy fashion dating back hundreds of years, made from one of the only raw materials the Western Cowboy had available: Horse hair. Each piece of Hair delicately trimmed from his own horse and each item made in the quite of the evening, by his own hands, one-at-a-time into a priceless treasure.

Each horse hair item so intricately made by his hands, was admired and prized for generations: a working piece of authentic Western Art. Is this not True Western art at it's finest? From the moment you place you hands around one of our high quality, hand-made horse hair items, you will love and treasure each piece for years to come.

This online and print magazine has all the latest news in the equine world. Information on all the latest horse show competitions and the latest equine products. Show pictures from the various horse show competitions and a "horse trader" section.

Cowgirl Living is an online magazine for western women. CL is designed specifically for the modern horsewoman and focuses on the unique day-to-day challenges that come with juggling work, home, and horses. Feature articles on Cowgirl celebrities, Western fashion, and helpful tips for barn and home make Cowgirl Living a new kind of magazine for today's Western Woman. Also check outCowgirl Living

The nations Premier Barrel Racing website. Show results, upcoming shows, horses for sale, and member forums and blogs.

Bit and Bridle Magazine
Bit & Bridle is dedicated to bringing readers great content such as interviews with equine professionals, training advice, the latest news, Q&A columns, subscriber submissions and more! For your convenience, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.
No, we are a printed magazine that gets delivered right to your door! While online magazines are becoming more and more popular, most people still like to have pages to flip through at their own leisure. We do, however, offer limited online content and are looking at the possibility of having on online edition in the future.

Our Mission is to contribute to increased awareness of the plight of the mustangs, horses and burros and SAVING THE WILD MUSTANG from round ups, penning and slaughter! with subscriptions, content and advertising support.

trueCOWBOY magazine was established with the intention to act as a one-stop platform for the various mustang and wild horse rescue organizations. Working with the groups to help increase their sphere of influence to a readership that includes not only the horseowner and enthusiast but layman as well, who are not even aware that wild mustangs exist freely on the plains and most definitely not aware of the mustangs plight to remain free.

COWGIRL Magazine is published six times a year by Modern West Media, Inc. Featuring the best of the modern west including stylish accessories for horse and home, hot fashion, luxurious dream getaways, cool western design trends and expert equestrian advice designed to inspire, educate and entertain the modern cowgirl. Join us today as a subscriber, advertising partner, retail distributor & friend!

Petticoats and Pistols
a fun website with cowboy stories, cowboy and cowgirl chat and insight into cowboy life.

Buckaroo Bay for Cowgirls
A cowgirl with attitude offers a funky fashion and dare to be different line of hand crafted cowgirl and girly-girl jewelry. We love to cater and pamper all the soulful cowgirls, that be city or country gals, with our collection of Buckaroo Bay Jewelry. From ranch to runway Cowgirl; From classic fashion to grunge to the sort of twisted fun and plus size cowgirl couture, we can make it for you knowing that your piece is a genuine Buckaroo Bay original. Whether your fashion tastes favor country or rock, every fashionista will benefit from our own western inspired pieces. We do understand the meaning of "poor economy" and do our best to keep our western inspired jewelry affordable.

Cowboy Syndicate will be the premier social network for everyone who loves the western way of life: cowboys, cowgirls, rodeo professionals, rodeo fans and western businesses from fashion to décor and everything in between!

Cowboy Syndicate Network will offer all the features that people have come to expect on their social sites including customizable profile pages, widgets and apps, photos and videos, as well as community areas, Discussion forums, and groups.

Horses Magazine
Horses Magazine is the largest regional horse / equine magazine in the country. We are available free at tack stores and equine related businesses all over the regions we serve. Horses Magazine features some of the country's most well known clinicians such as Chris Cox, Clinton Anderson, Lynn Palm, Tommy Garland, Ryan Gingerich, Gary Lane, Julie Goodnight and more!

Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable Quality
American made leather horse tack.......